On Nov. 9, GE Johnson and Peak Custom Fabrication crews erected and installed the highest steel beam on the Pikes Peak Summit Complex at the top of 14,115-ft Pikes Peak. The new facility replaces the existing visitor’s center, which was built in 1963, and is the highest ongoing construction site in North America. The new complex will feature an immersive visitor experience, with multimedia exhibits that tell the story and history of the mountain.

Begun in June 2018, the structure is expected to take three years to complete. With a short work season atop the mountain (late spring to late fall, weather permitting), each day’s shift is shortened to keep workers safe from the effects that can be suffered at high altitudes. More than 30,000 tons of rock have been excavated at the site for the 38,000-sq-ft facility, which includes 418 precast panels and 319 PermaTrak boardwalk panels. The Pikes Peak Summit Complex reached several project milestones this fall, and all remaining exterior activities will be completed in the next building season.

The American Council of Engineering Cos. of Colorado honored 21 design and research projects from its Colorado member firms during the Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) luncheon on Nov. 4 in Denver. The annual ACEC Colorado EEA program recognizes consulting engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement and value. More than 165 guests from the engineering industry attended the event.

The Grand Conceptor Award, representing the highest honor, was awarded to Merrick and Co. for the South Platte River Run Park project in Sheridan, Colo. The engineering of this river park helped overcome low-flow conditions and received U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ approval to build a river park within a congressionally authorized flood-control area.

Accepting the Grand Conceptor Award for the South Platte River Run Park project were (from left): Rick McLaughlin, Merrick & Co.; Laura Kroeger, Mile High Flood District; Magdiel J. Garcia, Merrick & Co.; and Kevin Houck, Colorado Water Conservation Board.